Murayama Kannon Hall

Inside Kanrenji Temple's Murayama Kannon Hall stands a 12th-century wooden Thousand-Armed Kannon, its many arms radiating outward to represent all-encompassing compassion. The gentle curves and soft lines are characteristic of sculpture from that era. Surrounding the central figure are carved Four Heavenly Kings, guardians of the cardinal directions. This is the ninth site on the Sagara 33 Kannon Pilgrimage and one of the few along the route to display its Kannon image year-round. The Kannon, the Four Heavenly Kings, and the hall itself are all Designated Cultural Properties of Kumamoto Prefecture.